Grace Under Pressure epilogue
by HarmonyAk
Summary: What happened immediatly after the end of the episode? This is my little way of resolving things.


A/N: Have you ever noticed that most episodes of SGA feel like they need about three more minutes at the end? Well, here are the final minutes of "Grace Under Pressure." Or at least, the final minutes that **I **think should have been there.

Standard disclaimer: I don't own SGA or any characters, blah-de-blah. But you knew that 

OOOOOO

Rodney watched until the jumper door closed fully, shutting off his view of Sam, before turning back to the interior of the ship. He jumped slightly when he saw Zelenka standing behind him, holding a blanket, an odd expression on his face. Rodney suddenly felt the need to explain. "I was just…ah…" his voice trailed off as a heavy weariness enveloped him. Who cared, really, if everyone knew he had been hallucinating? She was a damned fine hallucination anyway. He was so cold and tired he didn't even resist as Zelenka put an arm around him and helped him sit back down on the bench.

"Hold on, people," Sheppard called from the cockpit. "I'm taking us up, and I have a feeling we don't have time to make this gentle." With no more warning, the jumper lurched upwards, nearly throwing Rodney off the bench. A strong Czech arm caught him and held him in place.

"Uh…" Rodney said, feeling a distinct encroachment into his personal space.

Zelenka said something foreign under his breath, and wrapped the blanket he was still holding around Rodney's shoulders. Rodney, in his slightly hypothermic state, was so grateful for the warmth of the blanket that he didn't notice for a moment that Zelenka hadn't removed his arms. He almost said something about it, but realized that _that_ warmth was helping as well. Suddenly, to his embarrassment, he lost the strength to hold himself up, and sagged against Zelenka.

The Czech, if anything, gripped him more tightly. "Rodney…" he said softly. "I…I just…I'm sorry."

Rodney tensed in surprise. "Sorry? For what? For rescuing me?"

"No, sorry for not…not fixing the jumper properly. Sorry for killing Griffin and nearly you." He turned if face away, his body tensing too.

Rodney was stunned. Sure, he had told Sam (well, not Sam, but his own subconscious. Whatever) that all this was Zelenka's fault, but he never for a moment actually felt that way. And God knew he had been responsible for killing enough people that he didn't want Radek to have to bear the same burden. He struggled to find something comforting to say. He was chagrined when he came up empty. Instead, he put a tentative hand on top of the fist the was now convulsively clutching his shoulder. "Radek," he said softly.

Zelenka turned back to face him, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow. "What?"

"Look," Rodney said, still desperately trying to think of something comforting to say, "people are always trying to tell us—well, me mostly, but us—that Ancient technology is something we don't know all about, right? That we're basically just floundering in the dark."

"But you always make it work," Zelenka cut in.

"Oh, sure. Like for example when I nearly got the Colonel and myself killed on Doranda?" Rodney said with more vitriol than he intended. He still felt horrible about that. About getting Collins killed. About how he had abused the trust of his friends, and how he had insulted Zelenka when he tried to help. In fact…there was something. "If I'd listed to YOU in that instance, there would still be one more solar system in this galaxy."

Zelenka stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "You…you just…"

"What? What? I just what?" Rodney said impatiently, suddenly uncomfortable.

"You admitted you were wrong," Zelenka said in wonder.

If Rodney hadn't been so exhausted, he would have been annoyed. As it was he just sighed. "My _point_ was, we can't be expected to know all about this ancient technology. I seriously doubt you missed something I would have seen, hence the whole reason we were test-driving the jumper in the first place."

"But…"

"No buts, Radek. We had a malfunction, and yes, Griffin didn't make it. And that's horrible, but I hardly think it's your fault, and you shouldn't either. Is all I'm saying," he ended in a self-conscious mutter, thinking about Griffin rushing to the front of the ship to sacrifice himself so that he—Rodney—could live.

He was saved from further taxing what was left of his brain trying to find words of comfort when the lights inside the jumper suddenly brightened. "Sheppard, what happened?" he called.

"Just dropped the shield," the Colonel explained from the cockpit. "We're high enough, and we're almost out of power."

Rodney closed his eyes as a new thought struck him. Almost out of power. They had just risked their lives to save his. If they had run out of power, if their shield had failed when they were on the ocean floor, then Sheppard and Radek would both be dead now. Just like Griffin. Jesus, how many people were willing to die to save people around here? What the _hell _was with all the self-sacrificing? He glanced at Zelenka. Apparently Colonel Suicide-mission's attitude was contagious.

Suddenly they broke the surface, sunlight flooding the cabin of the jumper. It was like waking up from a bad dream, and Rodney actually gasped. Leaning forward, he could see blue sky out of the windshield. He felt his eyes tear—from the sudden light, of course—and lowered his gaze abruptly. Only minutes ago, he had been sure, completely sure, that he would never see the sky again. Never see anything again. He shuddered slightly and pressed a little more closely against Radek. The Czech just watched him, silent and understanding.

After a moment, Rodney straightened a little. One thing still needed to be done. "Hey," he said, looking at Radek but speaking loudly enough that Sheppard could hear, "Thanks."

Sheppard flashed him a grin over his shoulder, and Radek just smiled slightly and closed his eyes. Rodney looked at each of them, and finally let his exhaustion take over. Laying his head on Radek's shoulder, he fell into the deepest sleep he had experienced in months, and dreamed of Samantha Carter.

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: Yes, I realize there was suppose to be something about decompression. But I figure that I'd leave that issue to other authors. Besides, for all we know Sheppard had already turned up the pressure to do that, and Rodney just didn't notice. I just had to add a few minutes to the end of the show, because it needed it.


End file.
